Fans of South Korean figure skater Kim Yuna are upset after she finished second at the Sochi Olympics after Russian skater Adelina Sotnikova. More than a million people are calling for an investigation online. Will Davies has the details.

Russia scored a surprise victory in women's singles' figure skating Thursday night at the Olympics, when an outside contender for the podium walked away with the gold medal, and straight into a classic figure-skating controversy.

Adelina Sotnikova, a 17 year-old who has performed inconsistently the past few seasons, handily defeated South Korea's Yuna Kim, who was competing for a second Olympic gold medal but won silver instead. Kim said she would retire from competitive skating. Carolina Kostner of Italy won the bronze medal.

ENLARGE

Adelina Sotnikova of Russia, center, won the women's figure skating gold medal Thursday. Yuna Kim of South Korea and Carolina Kostner of Italy took silver and bronze. respectively.
Associated Press

Immediately, skating experts criticized the outcome and raised questions about the judging system, which is a perennial topic of debate. U.S. skater Ashley Wagner, who finished in seventh place after skating two clean programs, said the current practice of anonymous judging must end—a change the U.S. and some other countries have proposed.

Russia's Adelina Sotnikova's won the gold medal in women's figure skating in a program that narrowly topped favorite and silver medalist Yuna Kim. Betsy McKay reports from Sochi on the News Hub.

A huge figure skating upset in Sochi yesterday as Russia's Adelina Sotnikova wins gold. Plus, the Brazilians have a rough time on the bobsled track. Plus, Homemade Highlights provides exclusive access to major NBC celebrities at the Winter Games.

"The sport needs to be held more accountable if they want people to believe in it," said Wagner.

She also noted the Russians' home court advantage. "The crowd was supportive of the Russians," she said. "So to be a Russian figure skater must have been incredible."

Sotnikova had been considered an outside medal contender going into the Games, with few people thinking she was likely to challenge for the gold. She wasn't even the leading contender from her own country. That distinction went to Julia Lipnitskaya, a 15-year-old up-and-comer who recently won the European championships but came in fifth here after stumbling both in her short and long programs.

Sotnikova won a silver medal in the European championships but placed fifth in the Grand Prix final in which many of the top international women competed in December. In the 2012-2013 season, she had also come second in Europe but had placed ninth in the world championships, her first at the senior level.

But Sotnikova delivered a vibrant program packed with well-executed triple jumps that outscored Kim.

"The Russian literally jumped her way to gold. She had more difficulty," said 1988 Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano. "Is she as good of a skater as Kim or Kostner? No. But she powerhoused her way to a gold."

Sotnikova said she was motivated to go after the gold by anger she felt about being left off the Russian team that won the gold medal earlier in these Games. "It made me so mad," she said.

Kim, for her part, skated beautifully but said she had not felt motivated like she did in 2010 in Vancouver. "It was different from Vancouver because there was no obvious goal," she said. "At that time I could die for gold…Motivation was a problem, I think."

It was the first time that a Russian had won the gold medal in women's singles, and it added to a war chest of medals the host country has amassed in this sport over the past two weeks.

Russia wants to show that it is reviving its prowess in figure skating, which it once dominated internationally but lost its grasp on after the Soviet Union collapsed.

It has done all it can here to drive that point home, and its winners say they have been helped by the roars of an enthusiastic home crowd. Russia won the gold medal in the new team skating competition, and took home both gold and silver medals in pairs skating. Then it won bronze in ice dance.

The moment was perhaps sweetest for Kostner, 27, who nearly quit skating after competing in Vancouver. But she said she missed it and decided to come back. "This medal for me is absolutely worth gold," she said. "I hold it in my heart."

Adelina made 4 mistakes, three of which were not reflected by judges. One more triple jump cannot be the key when she made 4 mistakes. Wrong edge of triple luz, full blade of triple luz, under-rotated triple toe, two-footed and step out of loop.Watch this video, and you will know why Yuna should have won gold.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cVW0h6U3D4&feature=share

Well, considering that figure skating is NOT a sport, a lot of time is being wasted on this blather. Any olympic event that requires judging that is influenced by the music choice, the costuming, or which judge has a political issue with a performer is suspect. At best, figure skating, gymnastics, ice dancing, etcetera are artistic performances. Olympic sporting events should be determined by who goes fastest, highest, longest, or scores the most points (I'm ready to end basketball and hockey--why do we care about a four year hiatus for hockey and basketball players to wear a different uniform?) is the winner. And while we are at it, let's restore amatuerism as the initial qualifier for eligibility. Who cares how well a Ugandan basketball player does against LeBron James? Or a South Korean? I want to see Usain Bolt race all comers to see who is the fastest man, and let LeBron James dunk on another NBA flunky.

I guess this win will make Mr. Putin happy after the disappointing performance of the hockey team (that had NHL stars on it). Women's figure skating, men's ice hockey, and men's and women's downhill skiing, are the big guns of the Winter Olympics. So maybe Mr. Putin will be happy enough to stop the bloodshed in Kiev, Ukraine.

My female family members were surprised at the Russian girl's lack of physical beauty: she seemed a little pudgy in the face, and masculine in her musculature. Looks have always seemed so important in female ice skating. You wonder how much of a future she has in endorsements and pro skating earnings. But she's only 17, and can still "blossom." The tall, slim, good-looking Italian girl who won the Bronze medal, and the good-looking American girl who finished seventh and criticized the judges, appear on their way to some big money. Fair or not, it's a fact that physical beauty is important in making lots of money in women's pro sports.

Yuri Balkov of Ukraine. At the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, Balkov was taped by the Canadian judge Jean Senft explaining what order the competitors would finish in the ice-dancing competition before it took place. He was suspended for one year. He returned to judging and is certified by the international federation.

Another judge was;

Alla Shekhovtsova of Russia. She is the wife of Valentin Piseev, general director of the Russian figure skating federation.

Were they the judges who had drastically different scores than the rest? Perhaps a better question is; could they have found two less impartial judges?

There will never be a perfect scoring system for a judged sport. The reason judges' scores are anonymous and the system is weighted toward technical difficulty rather than artistry is the scandal at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. Back then, the French judge said she was pressured to mark down a Canadian pair's artistry scores to rank them below a Russian pair who made some noticeable mistakes but came in first.

Under the new system it's become all about jumps and technical difficulty. The men's program was a debacle in which the gold medal winner fell down twice but tried a lot more quads than the others. The system has largely hurt the Americans with the notable exception of Meryl Davis and Charlie White in ice dancing, whose routine apparently is quite well suited to the new system and helped put them over their training partners from Canada. The Canadian press cried foul Monday night, and it seems some in South Korea and the US cried foul tonight. The Americans wouldn't have medaled under either system tonight, but maybe that's why Wagner felt freer to be critical. She was arguing over 5th or 6th vs 7th.

As a casual observer I have an easier time watching someone like Kostner than Sotnikova. That said, Kostner is older and more mature. Technical skills tend to peak in the late teens and early 20s. Artistry can be learned later. Perhaps that's why the current system is biased toward technical difficulty.

I agree that sotnikova did really well, but what I can't really understand is how she can have almost same score that Yuna get in Vancouver 2010. She did one of the best performance in figure skating history, and all her technique were so much better than what sotnikove did in Sochi. But how could she get as almost same as what Yuna got in Vancouver? Only possible opinion that I think is her performance was just overrated by the unfair judges.Russians, before talking about how sotnikova was great, watch Yuna's performance in 2010 Vancouver, and compare what sotnikova did, and then think about sotnikova's score. Then you guys would know that judge was unfair.

Tara Lapinski and Johnny Wier are the worst skating commentators ever. Why did they have to announce the live program, even they couldn't tell that the Russian judges cheated Yuna Kim from Gold. But were trying to persuad the viewers into believing the Russian girl deserved it. And this is coming from two skaters lol, you guys need a new job

Those of you not watching how politicized the choosing of the girls from the U.S. was, well let me tell you!

The girls for the U.S. went because NBC deemed them the most likely girls to be a cover girl model. Not because they could skate. Wagner fell over and over during the U.S. qualifiers. Mirai skated perfect. But didn't matter, wagner had already made olympic commercials for NBC months earlier. She had to go or what would NBC do with her pictures? oh no....

So after Marai won the competition they threw her out anyway. It was a shame and it's Great to see NBC's results. NBC should be removed as the olympic telecaster. In fact I demand it!! Internet streaming should be able to eliminate stupid NBC. Lets work on it. Go Mirai, we will support you if it's what you desire.

"Immediately, skating experts criticized the outcome . . .raised questions about the judging system . . .U.S. skater Ashley Wagner, who finished in seventh. . . said the current practice of anonymous judging must end . . .noted the Russians' home court advantage.

So, "skating experts" amounts to whining Ashley Wagner, a loser?

The American whining throughout, about door knobs, not getting their fave brand of yogurt, the costumes [that allegedly caused speed skaters to be total losers], and now Wagner, is a national embarrassment. She might as well have blamed the color of her lipstick.

I want the best to win. I don't care what her/his/their nationality is. That petite Russian blew them all away.

she was the best ever! Her jumps were the highest by at least 5.5 inches. A little mistake no biggie. She crushed everyone. now - it is time for the sore losers. 2nd and 3rd isn't bad anyway. Though #1 is the BEST and she was!

No she wasn't a number oneStill have a questionHow could she get almost same scores as Yuna Kim got in Vancouver 2010 even though she made a mistakeunfair judge in olympics shame on sochi from facilities to the judges

It is a sport dance discipline. There are more dancing and sport varieties in skating. The American couple won in the discipline, which is less sporty in turn. Winter Olympics have a lot of 'subjective' sports. Look at freestyle, it is not possible at all to understand judging in it.

Obviously, at least in the Short Program scoring it was not "all about Technical difficulty," it was about the subjective component scores. This is where Yuna Kim is stronger than everyone else, she's simply a better Skater when it comes to footwork, interpretation of choreography and performance skills. It's where two judges decided the contest by under-scoring one skater and over-scoring the other.

IF the scores were indeed given as you say, it seriously deserves an investigation.

1. One judge is WIFE of president of russian figure skating federation or something like it.2. Another judge actually got caught and banned in 1989 for rigging a vote (caught on recording by another judge, Canadian).

Why were the 2 EVEN allowed a chance to be a judge in the competition?

It was broadcast live on NBC's cable sports network. Plus we have this thing called the internet which we can access on our phones and tablets now. It isn't 1992 anymore where the media can pretend the entire world operates on Eastern time.

Same jump scored on a different basis,, when Yuna Kim actually had a perfect landing whereas Sotnikova landed on her two feet (BUT DID NOT GET PENALIZED))

What's so petite about rigging the games with 3 russian judges as their home game advantage...?She did great, but to the extend of getting more than 8P over Caroline, 6P over Yuna Kim...not when she landed on her two toes...

Well for that matter so did Kostner. She also did 7 triple so that argument doesn't hold. Also Adelina made a mistake of landing on two feet while Kim did a mistake free skating. If this was in any other city, there is no question Kim would have won the gold

But numbers don't lie. If the scoring-card numbers TIMOTHY RICHMOND posted above is indeed real, this deserves more scrutiny.

Of the 9 judges, 2 are of suspect quality (due to personal relationship and past history). And of the scores given by 9 anonymous judges, 2 consistently favor Sotnikova. The other 7 judges favor Kim (when the 7 scores are averaged out).

I don't think anyone can brush aside this saying it's all 'subjective'. Numbers are absolute.

Yuna Kim's free skate was slightly flawed, too, but she skated magnificently. The Russian's program was more difficult, and points rack up for difficulty. Kim is mesmerizing, one of the all time greats.

I have questionHave the russians ever seen the performance that Yuna did in Vancouver 2010?Sotnikova got almost same score that Yuna got in 2010 even though she did not shows quality of performance as same as Yuna did in 2010, which is completely perfect. Sotnikova (149.95 in 2014 Sochi), Yuna (150.06 in 2010 Vancouver)I want say that just watch and compare these two performance than you can understand why people say the judges was unfair. And also says that sotnikova performed really well, but hers was overratedThis is fact for sure

Kim will be the same age as Kostner in 2018, when the Olympics are held in her home country, She had effectively been in retirement since 2010.

Was Sotnikova favorably graded? Maybe. She skated before Kim and those who favored her for political reasons may have been overly generous. But was the padding over 5 points? Probably not. Kim looked a bit disinterested in her performance. Sotnikova had a lot of energy.

I thought Gracie Gold's 4th place and Julia Lipniskaya's slips even more dramatic. Note that her team score would have only put her 4th.

Many of these skaters will be back in 4 years. Lipinskaya and maybe Gold will have had to deal with the physics of Lilliput as they age. It should be interesting.

Dan, Carolina Kostner competed in three olympics and won her medal. So did Sonja Henie, three time defending Olympic champion. And many other ladies competed in three olympics before. This is not to say Yuna will come back, but others have

No, this will be her last Olympics appearance. Like gymnastics, the athletic abilities required in figure skating, e.g., balance, coordination, and flexibility culminate in early to mid teens and then it is downhill from there. For many, twenty is considered the retirement age.

That is why two time figure skating gold medalists are so rare and I don't think anyone has competed in the sport in three Olympics. Yuna herself gave a long and serious thought to retiring after Vancouver, and then decided to compete in Sochi as her last worldwide contest.

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